Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
Science
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
American Library Association; Library science -- Congresses
As you have heard, there is a substance called cellit, a solution
of cellulose and spirit, into which the paper may be dipped, and
thoroughly saturated. The spirit quickly evaporating leaves the paper
quite tough. The result is a very satisfactory paper. It is, however,
practically impossible to dip so large a surface as a newspaper into
this solution. The fibre when wet is too weak to handle; also the
spirit in the solution quickly evaporates, leaving a glutinous mass,
impracticable to deal with. We understand that oxidation of the paper
resulted from the action of light, air and deleterious atmosphere. If
the newspaper for filing were not allowed to be used in the reading
room but were set aside on the morning of publication, kept from the
light and air, and a board or weight placed upon it, and if the volume
were bound directly it was complete, very little mischief would happen.
Again, if the edges of the volume were frayed out and this solution of
cellit, which is comparatively cheap and quite practical to use in this
way, should be painted upon the edges, you would have a newspaper file
which would last for a great number of years. How many, I do not know,
but the chemist who accompanied me to the British Museum, in conducting
the examination of newspapers under the instructions of your committee,
could see no reason why the paper should not last indefinitely.
We discovered there--because in the British Museum there are more
newspapers brought together than in any other place in the world--that
newspapers which were left lying about before binding were in a very
bad condition in the course of four or five years, while newspapers
which had been bound some fifteen or twenty years, of the same kind of
paper, were in thoroughly good condition, proving that if you could
take care of the paper and not allow it to be exposed to the air there
is no reason why even bad paper should not last a very long time. The
rule should be made as I have suggested it. In the British Museum there
had been no rule, but the exigencies of the binding shop had been
consulted, and here and there a newspaper had been bound quickly, and
it was all right; and if it had been left about, as some of them were,
it was all wrong. That is my practical contribution to the discussion.
Dr. BOSTWICK: I would like to ask Dr. Hill if his committee
investigated the newspaper report that it is now possible, or will be
shortly possible, to obtain a thin, tough metallic sheet which can be
printed upon. It was reported that that had been done.
Dr. HILL: Nothing of that nature came before the committee, Mr.
Chairman, but I am sure that at the next conference some publisher or
some commercial house will give us that desired information. I would
say for the benefit of those who are interested in this subject, and a
great many of us ought to be, that there are extra copies of the first
report of the committee on the table for distribution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account